Helping Hands
by buriednurbckyrd
Summary: *Not the sequel to Handmade & Homemade but this takes place five months after that story ended. This sets it up for the sequel that I'm still working out in my head. Please read H&H before this, or it won't really make sense!* Dean needs to hire some help for the bakery, that doesn't mean he's got to be happy about it. (rating for mild language, just to be safe)


"Dean?" He jumped when he heard Castiel's quiet and sleepy voice call out from the dark living room. He flicked the switch on the wall and the room filled with light. Cas was sitting in one of the overstuffed chairs with a blanket over his lap. He had clearly fallen asleep waiting for Dean to get home, but woke up when he had banged his way into the house. "What time is it?"

"Around midnight." He answered, swallowing down the guilty lump in his throat. "I really tried, Cas. I just kept finding things that had to be done." Castiel rubbed his eyes and got up. He took Dean's hand without a word and led him into their kitchen. Dean wanted to cry when he saw the cold food sitting on the table. He couldn't remember the last time the two of them had eaten dinner together, or any meal for that matter. The bakery had become popular very quickly and Dean was struggling to keep up with the work load.

Castiel fixed a small plate of food and heated it up in the microwave. Dean just sat and watched him move around the room, he was too tired to offer any help. And that just made him feel worse.

"I'm sorry, Cas. You deserve so much better than this." Castiel just slid the plate in front of him and kissed the top of his head. "I wish you would say something." The dark haired man sighed and sat down across from him. He gestured at the plate.

"Eat." Dean's stomach rolled when he looked down at the food. It looked and smelled delicious, but exhaustion made the thought of trying to choke it down repulsive. "Dean," Castiel's expression was worried. He reached out and gripped Dean's hand. "Please, you have to eat something. Just a few bites, and then we'll go to bed." Dean lifted the fork to his lips and forced a bite of herbed chicken into his mouth. When his body seemed to accept that, he tried another. Castiel looked relieved.

"God this is good." Dean muttered.

"I'm glad it reheated alright."

"I'm sorry." He said again.

"You don't need to apologize. But…" Castiel bit his lip, an expression Dean knew meant that he wanted to say something but was worried it would be taken the wrong way.

"What is it?"

"I think you need to consider hiring some help." Dean sighed.

"I know."

"I really think it would help-" Cas blinked and looked at him with surprise. "Last time I suggested this you refused to even think about it."

"I thought I wouldn't have to for at least the first full year. I never thought it would take off like this." He sat back in his chair and scrubbed his hands over his face. "But I hate this. I love my business, I love what I do, but I hate that I never get to see you. I've only been opened five months and I feel like I've been working for five years."

"Come on, let's go to bed. We don't need to discuss this right now."

"I'm going to call my buddy Garth tomorrow. I know he would come here in a heartbeat. He might know someone else, too."

"Really?" Castiel was shocked. He had expected a fight, had been bracing himself for a fight.

"Really. I started this so I could have my own life, and I can't even enjoy it. I don't even see you on my day off. Or my niece." Cas felt his heart break a little when Dean's face crumbled. Dean spent the one day the bakery was closed catching up on paper work, ordering supplies, or shopping around for them himself. He pulled the other man into his arms and held him. He could feel how tense he was, even now refusing to be completely vulnerable. Dean hated to reveal any weakness, even to Castiel.

"Please don't change your mind when you wake up." Cas whispered, quietly begging Dean to follow through with his words.

"I promise." When Dean Winchester uttered those words, Castiel knew he could take it to the bank. He pulled Dean's face towards him and kissed him, feeling a large chunk of his worry fall away. "Can we go to bed now?" Dean asked, holding back a huge yawn. Cas smiled and nodded.

Dean was asleep almost as soon as he crawled into their bed. Castiel chuckled and slipped in beside him, completely content when Dean reached out and pulled him closer.

...

Two weeks later, Dean and Castiel were waiting at Winchester's for Dean's friend Garth to arrive. He was also bringing a woman with him, who he referred to as 'The Cake Goddess'. Cas couldn't believe how quickly everything had fallen into place.

"Garth is a little… Overly affectionate?" Dean told him. "But the guy knows his way around a kitchen, and he's as loyal as a Labrador." Garth had agreed to come to South Dakota almost immediately. When Dean asked him if he knew anyone else from their culinary school Garth assured him he did.

"Her name is Kat, and she just graduated," he had told Dean. "She's amazing, and she hates the place she's at. They got her stuck out front, won't let her in the kitchen at all." Dean trusted Garth's opinion but was cautious. Kat agreed to come out on a trial basis.

"I hope this girl is as good as Garth says she is. I hate not knowing what to expect." Dean scowled and checked the time again. He had been grumpy for days. It had finally sunk in that he had to relinquish some of his control, and it pissed him off.

"I am sure that everything will be wonderful, you need to relax."

"Oh, shut up." Dean started to pace, and Castiel just smiled. He swallowed down his laughter, not wanting to give Dean any more reason to be annoyed. When Jess pulled up in her Jeep, Cas internally jumped for joy. Where there was Jess, there was baby Emily, and it was impossible for Dean to be in a bad mood when he saw his little niece.

"Hey boys!" Jess called out to them. "Sam said the newbies were coming today, so I thought we would come and say hello." She covertly winked at Cas. He had texted her the day before, knowing she would be willing to help keep Dean calm. She fixed Emily's little jacket before lifting her out of her car seat. As he expected, Dean's face softened and broke out into a huge grin.

"Hi, Jelly-bean!" Emily turned towards Dean's voice and started babbling happily. Jess handed her over and Dean shamelessly kissed the baby's tiny button nose.

"You are a saint." Castiel murmured to Jess.

"Don't mention it. We both needed to get out of the house today." Jess stretched and rolled her neck. "It's so nice out, I can't wait for everything to get green again."

"Jess, I think it might be time for a hair cut. I've never seen a kid with so much hair before." Emily had an abundance of soft honey colored baby curls, very similar to her mother's. But her eyes were definitely from Sam. Already they were nearly his shade of hazel.

"I couldn't stand it! Everyone kept telling me that her hair would probably fall out after she was born, I love those little curls!" She stuck her hands into the pockets of her jeans and fished around. She pulled out a barrette and brushed the hair out of Emily's face and gently secured it back. "There, you don't need a hair cut, do you baby girl?" Emily blew a raspberry in response.

"There's that Winchester attitude." Dean laughed at his niece's comedic timing, then he looked up and tensed. They all heard the loud roar of a car approaching.

The car that pulled up was so beat up Cas actually worried it would fall apart while it was running. A tall, impossibly skinny man got out.

"Hello hello!" Garth, this cheerful man could clearly be no one else, walked over and pulled Dean and Emily into a hug before Dean could properly react. "Who is this?" He exclaimed, when he realized Dean was holding a baby.

"Uh, my niece. Emily."

"You must be Castiel!" Garth turned held his arms open for another hug. Cas accepted the embrace, shooting a confused look at Dean.

"I told you, Garth is a hugger." He whispered back.

"And Jess, didn't I meet you when me and Dean graduated?"

"Yes, me and Dean's brother Sam." Jess grinned when she was wrapped in Garth's arms. "I thought there was supposed to be two of you?"

"Yeah, where is this chick you said you were bringing?" Dean frowned and shifted the baby to his other arm. "Did she flake?" His expression suggested it was what he expected.

"No! Don't worry, Kat is still coming. She got a flat just outside of town and told me to keep going so we both weren't late."

"You left some girl on the side of the road with a flat tire? Shit, why didn't you call me or something?" He started to hand Emily off to Jess. "Oh, sorry Jess." He cringed when he realized he had cursed in front of the baby.

"I didn't call because Kat had a spare, and she can take care of it." Garth held up his hands in surrender. "She'll be here any minute, she knows her way around that car, trust me." He grinned. "Actually, she reminds me of you." He looked at Cas and Jess. "Calls her 'Baby'. Sound familiar?"

"Oh no," Jess groaned. "She isn't a female Dean, is she? He's bad enough in one gender."

"Laugh it up." Dean grumbled. "You're the only one on my side, aren't you?" He bounced Emily, making her giggle.

"Ha, what did I tell you? Here she is now." Dean's jaw dropped when the elusive Kat drove up. She was driving a pristine 1960 Chevy Bel Air painted a striking purple.

"Sorry I'm late," the woman said as she climbed out of the car. "Some jerk face couldn't keep their garbage inside their own vehicle. I hope you can point me in the direction of a place that won't skin me for a tire."

Kat was petite, curvy, and tattooed. She had a lot of dark wavy hair and a small silver hoop through one of her nostrils.

"Um, I'll call Bobby, my uncle. He should be able to help you find tire for a good price." Jess took Emily from Dean so he could properly inspect the car.

"Ha! Like her? My Granddad past her down to me on my eighteenth birthday. Of course she wasn't purple when he had her." She wrinkled her nose. "Brown. How boring is that? But he took good care of her. Taught me how to." She patted the hood with obvious affection.

"Why not go into mechanics?" Dean asked her.

"Because at the end of the day I'd rather be covered in flour than motor oil." She replied. "And the work place smells a whole lot nicer." She flashed a cheeky grin.

"Garth says you've got a lot of talent, I trust his word."

"But not me? That's cool, I respect that. You just met me." Dean eyed her suspiciously. Her left arm was covered from shoulder to elbow with colorful depictions of various pastries and baking instruments. Her tee shirt was dirty and torn, Castiel assumed it was from her unexpected tangle with her car.

"So you understand you're here on a trial?"

"Yup. But trust me, you'll want to keep me around. I'm good." Another grin.

"We'll see." Castiel wanted to kick Dean. He settled for yanking him away from the group.

"Stop being an asshole." He hissed.

"I'm not!"

"You are! I know you're not happy about this, having to bring in other people, but you need to get over it." Dean crossed his arms over his chest and his jaw clenched.

"She seems nice." He finally said begrudgingly. Castiel let out a sigh.

"You are impossible, Dean Winchester." He said with a laugh.

...

Castiel knew Kat would be permanent when Dean requested a second piece of the first cake she baked for him.


End file.
